The African Development Bank, in collaboration with the African Union Commission, the African Ministers Council on Water, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the French government, is holding a conference on 14 March to discuss solutions and financing for boosting water security in Africa, within the context of the Sixth World Water Forum in Marseilles, France, which is taking place from 12 to 17 March 2012.

The conference brings together African finance and water ministers as well as development partners to discuss ways to enhance support for the development of the water and sanitation sector to ensure water security in Africa.

Special attention will be given to the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative, and the African Water Facility, two Africa-led initiatives that are contributing significantly to attaining the 2015 Millennium Development Goals and the African Water Vision 2025.

Their success in mobilizing additional financing has stirred water project development in Africa, which has positively impacted the lives of millions of people across the continent. Even so, there is much to be done to reach the Millennium Goal of halving the number of people in Africa without access to clean water and good sanitation.

The conference will also provide an opportunity for African governments and development partners to reiterate their support for the two initiatives and to reconfirm their commitments to build water infrastructure and prioritize the provision of basic water and sanitation services targeting those most destitute, particularly in rural areas where the need is greatest.

Contacts

Katia Theriault